Paraphrasing
Stanza 1:
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
Paraphrasing: In this poem, a mother advises her son that he will face many hardships in life, and yet he must overcome them and keep going. The mother compares her journey through life to climbing a staircase. She says that for her, life has not been a journey with crystal clear paths. Rather, it has been quite rough, with nails and pieces of wood sticking out along the way. There were also places where boards were torn up and the carpet was missing.
Stanza 2:
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
Paraphrasing: In these lines, she tells him that despite those problems, she did not stop. She has kept climbing, through landings, corners and darkness. She still moves forward, pressing on, achieving goals, and succeeding; even when there is no hope.
Stanza 3:
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
Paraphrasing: In the last lines of the poem, the mother tells the boy to not give up. She asks him to keep moving forward, without turning back or giving up because he finds the journey tough. She wants him to take inspiration from the fact that she never gave up hope, and is still going steady despite life’s hardships.
A: Understanding the Poem
1. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. Who is speaking in the poem and to whom are the words addressed?
Ans: A mother is speaking in the poem and her words are addressed to her son.
b. What does the speaker compare her life with?
Ans: The speaker compares her life to a flight of worn down, dimly-lit stairs
c. What does the speaker encounter on the stairs?
Ans: The speaker encounters tacks, splinters, holes, bare boards, and patches of darkness on the stairs.
d: Even though there have been obstacles in the way, what has the speaker done to continue her journey?
Ans: She has kept climbing up, even though there have been obstacles in the way.
e. Which three pieces of advice does the speaker give the boy?
Ans: Don’t turn back; don’t sit down, and don’t fall, are the three pieces of advice the speaker gives to the listener in the poem.
f. Which sentences are repeated in the poem?
Ans: The line, ‘Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.’ is repeated. The speaker also repeats the message that she hasn’t given up with the similar lines: ‘I’se been a-climbin’ on’ and ‘I’se still climbin’’
g. Which line is the shortest? Why do you think the poet made this line so short?
Ans: The one-word line, ‘Bare.’ is shortest. It is a simple fact that her life has been hard, empty, and without comforts, which the word on its own makes clear.
h. What is the mother’s experience of life?
Ans: Life for the mother has been very difficult but she has not given up.
i. Why do you think she is telling her son about her life in this way?
Ans: She is telling her son about her life in this way she wishes to share her experience and encourage him to never give up.
j. Thinking about the words and phrases used in the poem (the imagery), what points in the woman's real life would these represent? For example, tacks and splinters might represent hardships of a particular kind. Which hardships? Go through the poem, find other images, and write what these may represent in real life.
Ans: The tacks and splinters might represent hardships and painful moments: if you step on a tack or get a splinter on your hand or foot, it hurts, so perhaps these represent moments of physical or emotional pain. Boards torn-up could represent opportunities that have been removed from her due to the lack of financial resources; no carpet on the floor could represent lack of comfort and wealth; the lack of light could represent times when she has felt sad, uncertain, or hopeless.
B. WORKING WITH WORDS
1. Find all the non-standard words used in the poem. Write them out along with their correct meanings and form. Don’t forget to list all the words with an apostrophe.
Ans: ain’t – has not; I’se – I have; a-climbin’ – climbing; reachin’/landin’/turnin’/goin’ – all missing a g at the end; set down – sit down; ‘cause – because; kinder – kind of. I’ll -- I will; Don’t -- Do not.
1. Write these sentences using standard and grammatically correct English.
a. I am expecting a friend for dinner.
b. I have been waiting at this bus stop for one hour.
c. I am not going to the cinema tonight.
d. They have been kind of sleepy today.
e. She stayed at home because she was ill.
f. You are not doing this at all if you find it is too difficult to do now
C. LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE SENTENCES
1. Pick out the statements, questions, commands, and exclamations.
a. statement
b. question
c. command
d. exclamation
e. statement
f. command
g. statement
h. question
2. Make questions from the sentences below.
a. Did it have tacks in it?
b. Were there places with no carpet on the floor?
c. Did he sit down on the grass?
d. Does she find it hard?
e. Are you still working hard?
E. COMPOSITION
1) Try to write your own poem in which you give someone (a brother, sister, or friend) some good advice. The poem can rhyme or not (as in the current selection). Use words you would normally use in your everyday speech.
Ans:
Dear _____ (write the name of your brother/sister or friend)
Never give up,
Never give in.
Move onward and upward with strength from within.
Always believe,
Always look forward.
Never be the one who is seen as a coward.
You are special,
You are unique.
To go far in life is what you should seek.
You are brilliant,
You prove to be amazing every day,
And there is someone who will love you in every way.
1) How will your poem be different from that of a father giving advice to his son or daughter, or a teacher giving advice to a pupil?
Ans: A father advising his son or daughter will share examples from his life and how he braved through difficult times. The language would be more complex as compared to this poem. Same in the case of a teacher giving advice to a pupil, they would tell the student to focus on their strengths and work wholeheartedly. The teacher would use standard English and add quotes and proverbs to motivate the student.
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